NJPW ‘New Japan Cup 2019’ (3.13.19) Results & Review

NJPW ‘New Japan Cup 2019’ (3.13.19) Results & Review

The second round of the 2019 New Japan Cup kicks off in front of 2,801 fans at the ZIP Arena Okayama. Two of the eight second round matches are set to take place as YOSHI-HASHI takes on Chase Owens and the main event between Tomohiro Ishii and Taichi. Let’s get started!

New Japan Cup Second Round Match
YOSHI-HASHI def. Chase Owens @ 14:10 via Karma – ***
Owens starts off by pie-facing Y-H, ducks his forearms and takes Y-H to the mat. He lets Y-H back up, pie-faces again but Y-H connects with the forearm. They trade finisher attempts, Y-H traps Owens in the Butterfly Lock but gets to the ropes. Jado distracts Y-H with the cane to give Owens the chance to regroup. Owens takes Y-H to the outside and drives him into the rails, post and apron. He continues back in the ring with a scoop slam and elbow drop off the second. Y-H gets his boot up on the next attempt, rolls out of a corner attack and connects with both a mule kick and draping dropkick. Owens elbows out of a neckbreaker, lands a forearm and lariat, goes for the piledriver but Y-H back him into the corner. They head to the top, Owens sweeps the leg and stomps Y-H hanging off the ropes.

Owens looks for the piledriver on the apron, Y-H backdrops out and delivers the headhunter off the top. He looks for Karma, Owens grabs the referee, Y-H cuts off Jado but Jado slides the cane to Owens. Y-H thrust kicks Owens who rebounds off the ropes with a lariat but Y-H responds with one of his own. Owens escapes Karma but takes an accidental shot from Jado and Y-H follows with running double knees and the Butterfly Lock. Owens drives Y-H to the corner and connects with a rolling back elbow. Y-H catches Owens running in with a lariat and finishes with Karma.

New Japan Cup Second Round Match
Tomohiro Ishii def. Taichi @ 22:56 via Brainbuster – ***1/2
Taichi bails to the outside and takes a lap. He comes back in, Ishii backs him to the ropes where they trade eye gouges and Taichi again bails. Taichi eventually makes his way back in only to be shoulder tackled back out and sent into the rails. He responds by throwing a chair at Ishii and brings him back in. Taichi stands on Ishii’s head, kicks him in the back but Ishii asks for more. He gets more and fires up only to receive an eye gouge.

Ishii blocks a lariat into a brainbuster, chops Taichi into the corner but is taken back down with an enziguri. He ducks the buzzsaw, takes another enziguri and Kawada kicks from Taichi. Ishii fires off a flurry of chops to the throat, repeated headbutts and Kawada kicks of his own. Ishii is cut off with a leg lariat, blocks one attempt at a Saito suplex but takes the follow up. Taichi connects with the buzzsaw and locks in the Holy Emperor’s Crucifix Tomb. Ishii makes it to the ropes, backdrops out of a powerbomb, sidesteps a boot and drops Taichi with a German. Ishii combination elbows, lariats Taichi’s enziguri, hits another lariat and stacks Taichi with a powerbomb. Taichi ducks a sliding lariat and pulls the referee in to get shouldered by Ishii.

Taichi looks to the satchel holding the iron fingers. He chooses the mic stand instead. Ishii calls Taichi’s bluff. Taichi throws the stand down and the two have a battle of chops versus kicks. Taichi lands an enziguri, a lariat to both the front and back of the neck and the last ride stack. Ishii kicks out, drops Taichi with a piledriver but Taichi pops back up and connects with the buzzsaw kick, a lariat and highkick. Ishii lands a lariat, Taichi escapes the brainbuster and shoves the ref before kicking Ishii low. Gedo Clutch, but Ishii is out at two. Ishii ducks the superkick, boots a lariat, catches a superkick, hits an enziguri followed by a sliding lariat and brainbuster to take the win.

Two strong matches to start off the second round. Owens and Y-H was a good back and forth and the main event is one of Taichi’s best singles matches to date. Everyone has a career match against Ishii, he brings the best out of his opponents. There was a fighting spirit side of Taichi rarely seen and greatly appreciated. If these are the types of matches we’ll get out of Taichi throughout the G1 Climax, sign me up.

Robert McCauley hasn't missed an NJPW show since the launch of NJPW World. Always be on the look out for his reviews where he shares results and gives his honest opinions on the goings-on of New Japan Pro-Wrestling.